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A group of young people will be embarking on an epic journey this week with the production of a film in a day.

Year 7 and 8 pupils at Wolsingham School and Community College will be working with Jack Drum Arts on Friday to film a story based on the Prince Bishops of Durham. The project is part of the Natural England-led Mineral Valleys Project which is supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund and has been co-ordinated by Groundwork West Durham and Darlington.

The as yet untitled film has been written by the students with the help of Jack Drum Arts and informed by expert advice from archaeologist Caroline Hardie and Education Officer Sarah Price at the Palace Green Library.

The film is based on the idea of 'The Bishops Back Yard', this relates to the role of Weardale from the 12th Century onwards and the rule of the Prince Bishops over the area and its people. The young people have learned about how the Bishops had immense power over the people of Weardale and enforced a number of rules to control them, meaning it was very difficult for the people of Weardale to break free of the Prince Bishop's rule and make an independent living.

The group have toured the actual Bishops Back yard with a visit to Westgate to investigate the evidence with Caroline Hardie and have also researched documents relating to Weardale at the Palace Green Library including items in the Weardale Chest which demonstrate a fight-back from tenants. Using this information the young people are to produce a film which will look at events from a modern perspective.

Joanne Morley, Project Officer said, 'We wanted to create something that would explore the history of Weardale and its interesting relationship with the Prince Bishops. However we wanted to make this accessible and fun which is why we have asked the young people to look at the stories and events from the period and place them in a modern context. This can be a very useful way to help people contextualise history by looking at how it relates and compares to contemporary life and give these events relevance.'

When completed the film will be made into a DVD and be available for primary schools in the area.